William II of England

William II of England (1042-1100) was the King of England from 1087 to 1100. Nicknamed "Rufus" because of his red-faced appearance, he was known as Lord Rufus and Prince Rufus in his early years. He was killed in a hunting accident, when one of his own men shot him with a bow. He was preceded by William the Conqueror, and was succeeded by Henry I of England.

Biography
William was the son of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, and Matilda of Flanders. At the age of 24 he accompanied his father on the invasion of England in 1066, commanding the Norman army personally during the Battle of Hastings under his father's tutelage. In the aftermath of the Battle of Hastings, he commanded one of his father's armies and headed to Normandy to reinforce the city against the French rebels from Bruges.

Extremely loyal, William defeated Ambrose Adames in 1072 after Adames broke off his siege of Caen. In 1080, he was the general that captured York from the English rebels. He gained a reputation for chivalry, always peacefully occupying his conquests without harming the people. When his father died in the Siege of Mantes in 1087, William II became the new king. During his reign he crushed a rebellion against his rule in 1088 by Robert of Normandy, and he sent knights on the First Crusade in 1097. He died in 1100 at the hands of his brother Henry I of England in a plot to assassinate him during a hunting trip; he was killed by a "stray" arrow.

Personality

 * Talent for Command
 * Smart
 * Social Drinker
 * Loyal Beyond Question
 * Heir Apparent